The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) earlier this week announced key updates for the state’s $750 million plan to modernize and maintain 18 highway service plazas across the state.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, with the full construction schedule expected to be shared later this fall. This project is expected to support 750 new jobs.
“Massachusetts’ highway service plazas are long overdue for a complete reset,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “This investment will deliver the kind of infrastructure travelers expect in a world-class state—and do so in a way that supports local workers and businesses.”
Led by national service plaza operator Applegreen, this project will rebuild or renovate all 18 plazas, delivering critical upgrades to facilities, amenities, and sustainability infrastructure, according to a statement from MassDOT.
Suffolk Construction, a Massachusetts-based firm will lead construction and help deliver more than 750 local union construction jobs as part of the three-year build-out.
Applegreen also shared its initial hiring plan for plaza operations. All current employees working in the service plazas — regardless of their current subvendor— will be offered employment opportunities with Applegreen. With expanded services, food and beverage options, and additional support for facility maintenance, the plazas are ultimately expected to create 1,500 operational jobs.
All roles — across convenience retail, food and beverage, EV charging, or fuel services — will be directly employed by Applegreen, creating a consistent customer experience, simplified operations, and a single standard of service across all locations, according to a statement from MassDOT. Applegreen expects to launch its hiring process in early fall, including job fairs for new employees and information sessions for current staff.
The New York State Thruway Authority undertook a recently-completed total remodeling of all its rest areas with Applegreen.
Applegreen also announced a new partnership with National Convenience Distributors (NCD), a major regional supplier. As a result of the new partnership, Chicopee, Massachusetts-based Rachael’s will be the leading provider of sandwiches to all Applegreen Massachusetts service plaza locations, as well as its entire U.S. travel plaza business.
In addition to construction and employment milestones, Applegreen and MassDOT announced plans to launch a community engagement process this fall. The Consensus Building Institute (CBI), a locally based facilitation organization, will lead the effort to gather input from community members on plaza programming, vendor mix and regional needs.
While key aspects of plaza design and function are governed under MassDOT’s contract with Applegreen, the engagement process is designed to ensure that site-specific experiences reflect the character and priorities of the communities they serve.
